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The museum of the ‘Martyr City’ of Wiltz is located in the Old Castle and deals extensively with the dramatic events of the Nazi occupation. This includes the terrible devastation caused as a result of the Battle of the Bulge, with many dioramas and authentic objects.
The first museum of its kind in Luxembourg, the Museum of the Battle of the Bulge in Wiltz was inaugurated in 1970 in the town's old castle. Closely linked to the National Brewery Museum and the Museum of the Tanning Industry, the Museum of the Battle of the Bulge is an important milestone in the long history of the town of Wiltz.
Over two floors, a large number of authentic pieces of equipment from the US Army and German Wehrmacht of the time can be viewed on more than 170 square metres of exhibition space. In addition to the unique wealth of documents, photos, pieces of equipment and weapons, the immeasurable suffering of the civilian population and the terrible fate of the soldiers on both sides are objectively portrayed.
Of particular interest are the dioramas showing the cordial coexistence of the people of Wiltz with the US soldiers, who organised a St Nicholas celebration for the children in December 1944.
Also on display are: the headquarters of the last city commander, Colonel Daniel Strickler, who was forced to retreat from Wiltz on 19 December 1944; the desperate defence of the city by the US military chapel; depictions of long-suffering civilians who wrote a vow to erect the “Fatima Monument” in the ruins as thanks for their survival and a dramatic account of the murderous war of position at Schumanns Eck where the advance to Houffalize was obstructed by General Patton's 3rd Army for three weeks near Wiltz.
Information on visiting hours and requests for multilingual guided tours for groups can be obtained from the tourism association (Syndicat d'Initiative et de Tourisme) of Wiltz.